--- title: "Why Do Futures Charts Look Different Across Platforms?" slug: why-do-futures-charts-look-different-across-platforms date: 2026-11-13 modified: 2026-11-13 author: Bhavishya Goyal excerpt: "" meta_description: "Compare futures charts on TradingView and your broker. Check the contract month, rollover, back-adjustment, trading session and price feed to explain differences." focus_keyword: TradingView B-ADJ canonical_url: "https://blog.pickmytrade.trade/why-do-futures-charts-look-different-across-platforms/" og_title: "Why Do Futures Charts Look Different Across Platforms?" og_description: "Compare futures charts on TradingView and your broker. Check the contract month, rollover, back-adjustment, trading session and price feed to explain differences." og_image: "https://blog.pickmytrade.trade/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/tradingview-b-adj-cover-1024x576.avif" schema_type: FAQPage categories: - TradingView tags: [] reading_time: 3 word_count: 767 robots: "index, follow" lang: en-US --- # Why Do Futures Charts Look Different Across Platforms? Futures charts can look different because platforms show different contract months, use different rollover dates, or include different trading hours. Start with the full symbol and the session on both charts. If the latest prices agree but an older high differs, check whether either platform adjusts past prices when contracts roll. If your broker’s futures chart has broken an old high but TradingView still shows price below it, check **B-ADJ** on the TradingView continuous contract. Back-adjustment changes the prices plotted for earlier contracts when the series rolls. Today’s quotes can agree while an old high sits at a different level on each screen. ![Two futures chart displays illustrating TradingView B-ADJ](https://blog.pickmytrade.trade/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/tradingview-b-adj-cover.avif) ## What does B-ADJ mean on TradingView? B-ADJ stands for **back-adjustment**. A continuous futures chart joins a succession of expiring contracts into one series. The outgoing and incoming contracts can trade at different prices. TradingView uses the difference between their closes on the daily bar nearest the switch to shift the earlier history. Across several rolls, an old bar can reflect several adjustments. [TradingView’s continuous futures back-adjustment guide](https://www.tradingview.com/support/solutions/43000685266-how-can-i-enable-backadjustment-for-continuous-futures/) Imagine a roll where the incoming contract closes 80 points above the outgoing contract. With that single adjustment, an old high of 20,000 would display at 20,080. At a comparison price of 20,050, the unadjusted chart shows price 50 points above the old high. The adjusted chart shows price 30 points below it. These are illustrative prices. Both screens can be internally consistent. ![An illustrative 20,050 comparison price is above the 20,000 unadjusted high and below the 20,080 back-adjusted high.](https://blog.pickmytrade.trade/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/tradingview-b-adj-example.avif) ## How to turn futures back-adjustment on or off 1. Open a supported **continuous futures symbol**, such as the front-month series for the market you’re comparing. Write down the full symbol, including the exchange and suffix. 2. Find **B-ADJ** at the bottom of the chart. TradingView also lists **Adjust for contracts changes** in the chart settings. The feature is off by default and availability varies by series. 3. Pick a completed candle from **before a roll**. Note the date, time, high and close, then toggle B-ADJ and read the same candle again. Repeat with a completed bar from the current contract segment. The older bar is the revealing one. If the charts agree on the current segment and the earlier high moves when you toggle B-ADJ, you have evidence that historical adjustment explains at least part of the difference. A broker chart of one dated expiry answers a different question from a chart assembled across many expiries. ## What if the futures charts still don’t match? Use one completed bar as the test case. Record its open, high, low and close on both platforms. Then work through these checks in order: | Check | What to match | | --- | --- | | Instrument | Same exchange, product and contract month, or the same type of continuous series. A mini, a micro and a cash index are different instruments. | | Rollover | On continuous charts, compare the date each provider switched contracts and whether either adjusts earlier prices. | | Bars and session | Compare standard candles at the same interval. Match regular or extended hours so both bars contain the same trades. | | Timestamp | Convert both chart labels to the same timezone and identify the same interval, particularly around the session open. | | Price source | If daily closes still differ, check each platform’s close or settlement setting and which feed supplies the series. | For example, take a screenshot of the disputed candle with the full symbol and prices visible. Ask your broker which expiry underlies that bar on that date. The answer can explain why two charts labeled “NQ” diverge even after their adjustment settings agree. ## Should B-ADJ be on for a futures backtest? Choose the series that matches the strategy question. To reproduce a price that actually traded in a specific expiry, look up that dated contract. To study a continuous trend with rollover gaps removed, an adjusted series can suit that purpose. Record the symbol and B-ADJ setting with the test, especially when a rule uses an absolute price such as “buy above the previous all-time high.” Changing that old high can change which bar first qualifies. ## Does B-ADJ change the futures contract my order trades? B-ADJ changes the chart history. For an automated alert, check the destination contract separately in your order configuration, then confirm the accepted symbol and fill on the broker’s execution record. PickMyTrade’s settings documentation covers how a TradingView symbol maps to destination order settings. [PickMyTrade Create Settings](https://docs.pickmytrade.trade/docs/pickmytrade-create-settings/) If a chart comparison reveals that the alert points at an expired contract, use the contract mapping workflow. For a historical price discrepancy, send support the two symbol labels, the disputed bar’s timestamp and the values you recorded with B-ADJ on and off. [Futures symbol mapping and rollover guide](https://blog.pickmytrade.io/symbol-mapping-not-found-contract-rollover-fix-for-futures/) For AI tools & developers:[View Markdown →](https://blog.pickmytrade.trade/why-do-futures-charts-look-different-across-platforms.md)